Full Report (PDF 2.64 MB) - National Academies

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Partners of the African Science Academy Development Initiative The African Academy of Sciences Mohamed H. A. Hassan, President Thomas Egwang, Executive Director Nigerian Academy of Science David Okali, President Akin Adubifa, Executive Secretary Cameroon Academy of Sciences Samuel Domngang, President David Mbah, Executive Director Académie des Sciences et Techniques du Sénégal Souleymane Niang, President Iba Mar Diop, Permanent Secretary Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences Letitia Obeng, President Academy of Science of South Africa Robin Crewe, President Wieland Gevers, Executive Director Kenya National Academy of Sciences Joseph Otieno Malo, President Noel Abuodha, Administrator Uganda National Academy of Sciences Paul Mugambi, President Paul Nampala, Executive Director
Foreword The use of scientific evidence and principles in decision making has tremendous potential to effect meaningful policy change that will benefit citizens and development. In Africa, there is particularly outstanding promise for evidence to make a substantial difference in decision making. Policy makers from the African continent are increasingly confronted by emerging issues with scientific underpinnings and are under greater pressure to act visibly, impartially, and effectively in the public interest. Traditionally honorific societies that recognize individuals who have made outstanding scientific contributions in a country, science academies around the world and in Africa are progressively building a service orientation that will allow them to contribute to the resolution of development problems. Advice from a national science academy can carry weight among a nation’s leaders, which in turn can influence decisions in tangible ways. The impacts of advice from science academies can be substantial and far reaching, including influencing legislation, increasing funding levels, influencing national-level or local-level policies and regulations, creating or re-organizing government programs, and enabling new research. Organizing the intellectual community of a nation in an independent advisory capacity also offers benefits in support of good governance, including improving the transparency of the decision-making process, increasing public acceptance and confidence in decision making, promoting public participation in decision making, and mitigating conflicts over controversial topics. Science academies have a unique ability to draw upon highly qualified scientists, engineers, and health professionals from a variety of disciplines. Science academies can synthesize relevant research results into non-technical language and can use rigorous, apolitical procedures for objective and unbiased analysis. Further, independent science academies can generate authoritative, credible, evidence-based findings and recommendations for policymaking. The value of “home-grown” advice cannot be overstated in Africa, where the bulk of advice to government is driven currently either by donors and other external actors, who may have limited knowledge and experience of local conditions, or by powerful interest groups and internal actors, who may be motivated to influence decisions for private gain. As we reach the half-way point of the African Science Academy Development Initiative, I am pleased to look back on the remarkable and rapid progress of our academy partners in many countries. Science academies have improved their infrastructure and have hired and trained capable staff. Advisory reports on a variety of critical public-policy challenges have been undertaken and successfully concluded. Trusting relationships have been forged and sustained between academies and government representatives. Members of African science academies are engaging progressively in a public-service capacity. We at the US National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine are looking forward to working with academy partners in Africa to achieve even greater successes over the next five years of the project. Ralph Cicerone President, US National Academy of Sciences
Page 1: The African Science Academy Develop
Page 5 and 6: Message from the Director Africa re
Page 7 and 8: Message from the Chair Building ins
Page 9 and 10: Introduction The African Science Ac
Page 11 and 12: Elements of the Program The African
Page 13 and 14: Box 1 (continued) Undoubtedly, the
Page 15 and 16: Box 2 Nigerian Academy of Science:
Page 17 and 18: Box 3 Promoting Biosafety and Biose
Page 19 and 20: Box 4 The 3rd Annual Conference of
Page 21 and 22: Shared Electronic Database of Afric
Page 23 and 24: Box 5 (continued) Perspectives from
Page 25 and 26: assess their institutions’ curren
Page 27 and 28: Publications Reports of Annual Conf
Page 29 and 30: SUPPORT FOR THIS PUBLICATION WAS PR

Full Report (PDF 2.64 MB) - National Academies

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